Sep. 25, 2013

Brothers Brian (left) and Tim Hall are raising money for a community outreach center. / The Enquirer/Patrick Reddy

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Many young people dream of launching a business that will become a multimillion-dollar corporation to make them rich and famous.

Brian Hall of Union has that dream, except for the rich and famous part.

He and wife Traci Hall started the Cincinnati DreamCenter as a nonprofit ministry designed to help less fortunate people. The group’s mission has expanded to include the secular Cincinnati DreamWorks, which partners with organizations and individuals to provide community, medical and other specialty services.

Now, the couple is trying to get support for a $29 million facility that focuses on a comprehensive, sustainable approach to social services in Northern Kentucky.

They hope to purchase the 136-acre parcel formerly occupied by the Showcase Cinemas in Erlanger as a campus.

The EpiCenter, as the project is called, is envisioned as a sustainable enterprise that provides all of the services needed to help people become productive members of the community.

Hall said the facility would offer support to those commonly identified as in need of social services, but would also include others.

“We all have some kind of need,” he said, “and we want to identify those needs and fill them.”

The EpiCenter campus would include headquarters for the DreamCenter and DreamWorks, as well as Cincinnati DreamSpark, an educational facility focused on vocational and career training, and a Life Chapel.

The existing building would be renovated, with many of the individual theaters adapted for use as assembly space for education and outreach programs. Services planned for the DreamCenter include a health clinic, counseling, life coaching and resource mentorship.

A 150,000-square-foot multi-purpose Legacy Center would also house DreamCenter and DreamWorks programs, including the economic engines designed to make the campus financially self-supporting.

The project is still in the design stage, but the group has some high-profile backers, including the University of Cincinnati, Britney Ruby Miller of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment and her husband, former Cincinnati Bengal Caleb Miller

Ruby Miller, who helped coordinate the DreamCenter’s Unveiled Beauty event that focused on support for battered women, said she and her husband are strong supporters. Both are board members at Cincinnati DreamCenter

“We met Brian and heard about their vision and fell in love with that,” Ruby Miller said. “We just wanted to help out in any way that we could to try to fill some of these the needs in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.”

University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning provided design plans for the campus.

Liam Ream, assistant professor at UC’s Division of Professional Practice and Experiential Learning, said the university became involved through its Co-ops for Causes programs.

“We get a studio of students from multiple majors to contribute to mission building and research and development for a nonprofit,” Ream said. “The two biggest things that people need to reintegrate into society are holistic healing and enterprise incubation, or vocational training, and this campus wants to focus on both.”

DreamWorks is envisioned to launch with a packaging plant and an apparel upcycling center that would repurpose donated goods into fashionable clothing.

The facility is designed as a job factory that is expected to provide 300 on-campus jobs producing real products, another 200 seasonal jobs and 500 job placements for program graduates.

Whether the dream will be realized is uncertain, but the Halls remain confident.

Erlanger Mayor Tom Rouse said the former Showcase site has consistently been priced out of the market, but there may be some additional interest in moving the property now. He said the city’s participation would be limited, but because of its prime location at Interstate 71/75 and I-275, there is a lot of local interest in how it might be used.

“The city would welcome any proposal, and we’re not the final say, but we would prefer to see it become very productive,” Rouse said. “Because of its proximity to Downtown and the airport, it’s ideally suited to be developed in a manner that produces resident jobs and the things that support them.”

Tammy Weidinger, president and CEO of the Brighton Center, said she is not familiar with the Halls’ project concept but is concerned about possible duplication of services and competition for resources.

“That’s always the fear when you see something like this,” Weidinger said.

“It isn’t that I think this is a bad idea or anything. It’s just that there are very limited resources out there and when you see something like this, you can’t help but wonder if this is going to make it harder to get funding for services that are already proven.”

The Brighton Center works to create opportunities for individuals and families to reach self-sufficiency through a network of support services and partnerships in the region.

Hall said the reason he wants the EpiCenter to become self-sustaining is so that it can help support, not compete with, other nonprofits.

The group has focused much of its outreach in the Cincinnati area but also has projects in Northern Kentucky. It relies on contributions, which includes the donation of buildings in two of the city’s impoverished neighborhoods, and volunteers.

Its services now include employment assistance; educational and career building; mentoring and tutoring; health and wellness; housing; and food, clothing and furniture assistance.

Hall knows a lot of people will be skeptical of the EpiCenter concept and of the ability to raise such a large amount of money in an uncertain economy, but he is undaunted.

“There is a reason so much that is planned here begins with the word ‘dream,’ ” Hall said. “This is going to happen.” ■